As humans across the world are seeking justice, they must realize there is a price for it, which means justice could be bought or sold under the justice system. In many circumstances justice distinguishes itself from ethics and morals, and human power can twist and alter the meaning and the effect of justice.
For example, two persons from different economic classes and political power levels, or with different types of connections with the justice system will not receive the same sentence for the same crime. Also, to mention there are different methods of payment to pay for justice. The simplest and most common is hiring and paying an attorney who is the mediator between the defendant and the system, and the cost of the legal fees is the price of justice.
The definition of justice is the point of argument; what might be defined as justice to one group of people, it is reversely defined to others. Regardless of the charge, the rich and the powerful people will pay the highest bid and buy the justice and apply their definition to it.
Example, there is a man who received 80 years prison time for sexual assault on a minor, and there is Prince Andrew, Duke of York, member of the British royal family, through the sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, raped Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 year-old. Prince Andrew paid a settlement approximately 13-15 million dollars ( The Guardian, March 9, 2022) without being convicted of any crime and the case was closed. Prince Andrew is embracing a free life while the unknown man is being embraced by the walls of prison cell.
It is power and wealth versus justice. To have an unethical intention for an action, the brain will find an excuse to commit it. The difference between an ethical and unethical person is the latter finds reasons for one’s wicked action, but the issue does not arise with such an action per se as how to apply justice to the action which is the crime, and who will define both justice and the action.
The poor are not able to purchase justice, therefore, they pay for the price tag with their lives which is the time they serve in prison while those who have grips on the power can make bids and purchase justice through settlements and agreements. As the public believe that, for example, one specific sex offender who assaulted minors is a menace to society and must be locked up behind bars, it must be realized that the society is not safer to have famous and powerful sex offenders paying for justice in the form of restitutions and avoid prison time.
Purifying justice, not just reforming criminal justice, is needed. Being conscious to refuse restitutions for some major heinous acts is a step to purify justice, as the poor have to pay with their lives, the rich and the powerful must pay with their lives for the crime, as well.
Serwan Zangana – Roanoke